Duncan Selbie’s Friday message – 28 September 2018

Final week the Secretary of State Matt Hancock led the UK delegation for the annual well being dialogue with China, supported by Public Well being England with a give attention to prevention and expertise. We shared comparative information on weight problems, psychological well being, heart problems and tobacco management and had full of life discussions round how we use expertise and digital companies to reply to well being challenges. Apparently we’re very shut within the issues we face, saving the size, which is clearly very totally different. For instance now we have 4 million individuals with kind 2 diabetes they usually have 114 million, each across the 10% of the inhabitants mark. For weight problems, we’re much less comparable with the UK being very a lot within the mistaken place, nonetheless for smoking the UK is faring a lot better, with China having 19% of the world’s inhabitants smoking 44% of all cigarettes manufactured. PHE stayed on to fulfill our counterparts within the Chinese language Centre for Illness Management and Prevention the place now we have a rising partnership, then onto the Well being Fee in Shanghai, the place the parallels with London are most blatant and the place we are able to positively be taught from one another.

Individuals with extreme psychological sickness (SMI) die on common 15 to 20 years sooner than the final inhabitants. A brand new PHE report revealed this week reveals that folks with SMI have considerably greater prevalence of seven out of ten bodily well being situations, they typically have two or extra of those situations on the similar time, and it’s younger adults who expertise the best inequalities. This has been recognized for some years however that is the primary report back to current such an in depth image and to make plain that the bodily well being wants of these with SMI have to be higher addressed to shut this hole. It’s also very well timed for the NHS long run plan and its dedication to give attention to prevention and tackling inequalities and none extra so than for individuals experiencing psychological well being issues.

This week our annual tuberculosis report was revealed, coinciding with the first UN Excessive Degree Assembly on tuberculosis in New York. The brand new information tells us that in 2017 we noticed the bottom variety of individuals recognized with TB since 1990, and a 38% drop within the variety of circumstances for the reason that peak in 2011, which is testomony to the superb work of these proper throughout the well being and care system. However we can’t be complacent as virtually one third of individuals with TB expertise delays in getting therapy, and other people with social danger elements and probably the most disadvantaged proceed to be disproportionally affected by TB. Whereas there’s after all extra to do on TB, the roll out of Entire Genome Sequencing to the entire of England following a profitable pilot by PHE within the Midlands and North will present clinicians with extra exact info, strengthen our understanding of transmission, and in flip support TB management efforts.

One other individual quits smoking each 80 seconds in England and prevalence charges are at a document low, with a million fewer people who smoke since 2014. Of the remaining six million people who smoke, six in ten will try and stop with the least efficient methodology – utilizing willpower alone. Stoptober, our annual 28 day give up smoking problem, begins on Monday and new to this yr is the supply of a free on-line Private Give up Plan, which is able to assist people who smoke discover the correct give up smoking help for them. Our newest version of Well being Issues, revealed on Tuesday, additionally units out the varied quitting routes that may be taken and the proof for his or her effectiveness. Learn the full edition and blog to seek out out extra.

And eventually, you might recall that PHE lately revealed the second version of our Well being Profile for England which supplies probably the most complete have a look at the state of the nation’s well being in a single place. We’ve got ready a brief report with the ten most vital factors as we see them about our well being at the moment, and what it means for our future, which I hope you discover fascinating.